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Texas Sets $8 Billion Bond Deluge for Water Works After Drought

In November 2013, voters approved tapping the state’s reserves for the water program, following the onset of a drought that devastated its farms. Texas forecasts that the amount of available water will decline by about 10 percent by 2060, while its population will grow by some 20 million.

In November 2013, voters approved tapping the state’s reserves for the water program, following the onset of a drought that devastated its farms. Texas forecasts that the amount of available water will decline by about 10 percent by 2060, while its population will grow by some 20 million.

Photographer: Scott Olson/Getty Images
Darrell Preston
Updated on

The worst Texas drought in half a century has ended, with storms flooding downtowns and once-parched prairies. A deluge of $8 billion of bond sales for water works in the Lone Star state is just getting under way.

The Texas Water Development Board is planning to sell $800 million of municipal debt this year, beginning a decade-long borrowing spree for projects like reservoirs, pipelines and plants that make saltwater fit to drink.